As many of you know, the latest season of "Orange is the New Black" came out on Netflix last week. This Netflix original series has become a sensation worldwide and has won several awards. The series addresses various issues, including racism, prison violence and the corrupt prison system. Below are the reason's why the newest season hit you harder in the feels than the past three seasons.
1. It was only 13 episodes.
Most of the seasons are short, but this one seemed to go by even faster than the others. It flew by, even with the jam packed information it laid out. Piper's moments of power and defeat, Lolly's comical yet real comments, Poussey's new lover and so much more. There was a lot to keep up with, but when the last episode came you wanted there to be more!
2. Character's were "real."
During the hour episodes, you really get to know the characters in the show. Yes, they all have flaws, but most of them are real to us. We see ourselves (or someone we may know) in them, we get angry with them, we support them and we feel for them. In TV shows now a days, it is hard to come by shows addressing actual personal issues and political issues accurately.
3. The comical aspects.
Most of the episodes had pretty serious content matter, but that did not stop the laughter. Suzanne's ( aka "Crazy eyes") realization of how crazy her new girlfriend (soon after ex-girlfriend) was. Her random tangents that she goes on also never failed to get a laugh or two. The on going drama with Lolly as mentioned above also had it's funny moments.
4. Backstories.
We learned a lot more about some of the character's backstories, which really helped us to get to know them. We saw how they were regular people before and when they are still in prison, also how the situations they were in were not fair, but yet, are real issues that still happen today.
5. The ending.
We can all agree that the season as a whole was great, but the ending was extremely unexpected and happened so out of the blue. It went zero to 100 real quick in those last two episodes. One of the most likable and honest characters was killed that, in itself, hit viewers hard. At the very end, we are left on a cliffhanger with the least likely person with a gun in hand. Not to mention the hundreds of angry women ready to do whatever it takes to get revenge and be heard.
I'm not saying the other season's were bad, but I definitely felt that season four was very good with getting the viewers to connect with the characters on a personal level. I am anxiously awaiting the next season (as are others), but unfortunately, it is looking like we'll have to wait a while before we find out the next chapter.
